Volume One, Chapter 10: This Is Not How You Cultivate the Land

“Is Master Zhang home?”

It was Zhou Wu’s first visit to Master Zhang’s house, and he wasn’t sure if Master Zhang had gone to the county town today.

“Who’s there?”

Fortunately, a voice came from inside—it was Master Zhang’s, though it sounded somewhat off.

“Master Zhang, this is Zhou Wu.”

There was no reply for a long moment, but then the door opened, revealing an elderly woman.

“Scholar Zhou, come in quickly. The old man isn’t feeling well and is in the inner room.”

Judging by her demeanor, this woman was likely Master Zhang’s wife.

“What’s wrong with Master Zhang? Where does it hurt? Have you called a doctor?”

Zhou Wu had initially thought it was a minor ailment, but upon entering, he saw Master Zhang lying in bed, looking extremely weak.

“Ah, it’s nothing serious, just a bit of diarrhea.”

“What do you mean ‘a bit’? He’s nearly drained from it.”

Master Zhang tried to put on a brave face, but his wife, clearly displeased, grumbled beside him.

“Have you called a doctor, Auntie?”

From the looks of it, this was no simple diarrhea; it was probably dysentery.

“Ah, Scholar, where would we find a doctor in our village? The nearest barefoot doctor is in the neighboring village, ten miles away.”

“Enough, woman, shut up. Scholar, is there something you need? If you’re thinking of going to the county, it’s not possible today.”

Master Zhang, irritated by his wife’s whining, still treated Zhou Wu kindly. After all, a scholar was respected everywhere.

“Oh, Master Zhang, I’m not heading to the county. I just wanted to buy some vegetable seeds.”

Zhou Wu quickly explained his purpose, not wanting to disturb Master Zhang too much.

“Oh, that’s easy. Here, take these seeds.”

The elderly woman soon brought a small package from the inner room and handed it to Zhou Wu.

“Thank you, Auntie.”

“Don’t mention it, Scholar.”

Zhou Wu left the payment for the seeds and took his leave without further disturbance.

Today, Zhou Wu planned to check his traps in the mountains and then return home. He didn’t intend to stay long because the newly allocated farmland needed to be tilled, and the seeds had to be sown promptly.

...

When he emerged from the mountains, his basket was full once again. Zhou Wu couldn’t help but marvel at the bounty—how fortunate it was to live in ancient times, with such a pristine environment and abundant wildlife. Unlike his former world, where the only wild creatures he might catch a glimpse of were rats.

Back at home, he dropped off his catch but didn’t see Li Baiwei anywhere. After searching the entire house, it seemed she had likely gone to the fields.

Sure enough, when Zhou Wu arrived at the fields, he found Li Baiwei struggling to swing the hoe, tilling the earth. But with her small arms and legs, she barely managed to turn over the topsoil. It was already afternoon, and she hadn’t finished this small plot, looking utterly exhausted.

“Haha.”

Zhou Wu couldn’t hold back his laughter at the sight.

“What’s so funny?”

“This isn’t how you till the land. Watch me.”

He deftly dodged her hoe and swung his own with vigor. The tool sank deeper, tossing more soil.

“You should rest for a while. Then go home and cook. This hard labor is better done by a man.”

“Hmph.”

Feeling a bit deflated, Li Baiwei sulked under the shade of a tree, but she admitted to herself she wasn’t cut out for farming. Just a few swings of the hoe left her winded.

“Niuer, what brings you here?”

Li Baiwei had left sometime earlier, and now Niuer appeared before Zhou Wu, carrying his hoe.

“I heard from the village that the headman allocated land to your family. I figured you’d be busy breaking new ground, so I finished my own chores quickly and came to help.”

Niuer’s earnestness and brotherly spirit deeply moved Zhou Wu. With his help, their efficiency improved markedly—Zhou Wu joked that Niuer was worth two oxen.

“That’s enough for today, Niuer. Let’s head home for dinner.”

Two people couldn’t finish ten acres in one day. Noticing the time, Zhou Wu called it quits and invited Niuer to eat. Such mutual aid was common in the countryside—helping neighbors with work meant being invited to share a meal as thanks. Besides, Niuer and Zhou Wu were close friends. Although in the past, Zhou Wu’s family was poor, so this kind of hospitality was now a welcome change.

...

“What’s wrong? First time here? Sit down quickly. We’re exhausted today, so eat plenty.”

Niuer had been to Zhou Wu’s house many times before, but this time something felt different.

“It feels different than before.”

“How so?”

“Well, it’s cleaner and livelier.”

When Niuer saw Li Baiwei, he finally understood. Yes, it was liveliness. Before, the house felt empty despite its size. Now, with Li Baiwei there, the home radiated warmth.

“Stop chatting and eat.”

Thanks to Niuer’s help, Zhou Wu had specially asked Li Baiwei to steam some white rice and stew a wild chicken. Of course, wild vegetables were also on the table.

“This? Just cook some brown rice. No need to be so extravagant; you’re wasting money.”

This was the second person to call Zhou Wu extravagant. He was speechless. If they had seen his old life, they’d think those days were heavenly compared to now.

“Come on, eat up. It’s all homegrown.”

Like the village headman before him, Niuer talked a lot but worked just as hard.

Li Baiwei even gave Niuer a large bowl. Niuer didn’t hesitate—he took the clay pot with the stew, poured chicken broth over his rice, and dug in heartily.

“Hehe, this tastes great.”

Niuer’s simple praise made Li Baiwei blush.

“If you like it, eat more.”

Fearing Niuer might be shy, Zhou Wu tore off a chicken leg and placed it in his bowl.

In the end, Niuer ate three large bowls, and the stew pot was scraped clean before he was satisfied.

“Brother Wu, I’m leaving now. I’ll come help you till the land again tomorrow.”

“Thanks a lot.”

After seeing Niuer off, Zhou Wu returned to find Li Baiwei still clearing the table and took the initiative to wash the dishes.

“I’ll do it. How can I let you, a man, handle this?”

Though Li Baiwei had only recently come to live with Zhou Wu and they had yet to perform formal marital rites, her actions already reflected those of a devoted wife. She tried to handle all household chores herself, sparing Zhou Wu any toil. Though many tasks were new to her and required Zhou Wu’s patient guidance, once learned, she did them diligently without asking for help.

Sometimes Zhou Wu thought this life was quite pleasant. Though it lacked the conveniences and atmosphere of the modern world, it felt a bit like returning to his childhood home—free from the pressures of society and the troubles of interpersonal relations.